A SPORTS centre used by hundreds of people from across Colchester is due to close.

Colchester Academy has been forced to shut its sports centre as it needs expensive structural repairs to make it safe – and it can’t afford the bill.

The centre, which was built in the Sixties, is used by students during school hours and is open to the public in the evenings.

All eight members of staff are being made redundant and the clubs and organisations which hire it out will have to find new places to meet.

It will officially close on Friday, October 24.

Read the full story in today's Gazette.